The Ambassador of the Czech Republic to BiH, Ms. Ivana Hlavsová, and UNDP Resident Representative in BiH, Ms. Steliana Nedera, handed over today the state-of-the-art, BAM 120,000 worth firefighting equipment to the Mayors and representatives of the municipalities of Bileća, Konjic, Jablanica and Nevesinje. The Czech Government financed, the municipalities co-financed, and UNDP carried out the procurement within the “Fire Risk Management” Project. The most urgently needed firefighting equipment is listed in the “Disaster Response Capacity Assessment” Report and the Road Map for BiH, released in December 2018.

The Ambassador of the Czech Republic to BiH, Ms. Ivana Hlavsová, said during the hand-over ceremony: “It is my great pleasure to attend today’s handover of the necessary equipment to the civil protection services in the four municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina whose citizens are exposed to fire hazards almost every year. The Project “Fire Risk Management in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, which is funded by the Foreign Ministry of the Czech Republic, through the Humanitarian Aid Programme, is implemented by UNDP in cooperation with the BiH Ministry of Security and the Federation and RS Civil Protection Administrations. I sincerely hope that the assistance provided in the form of donated equipment and training of firefighters in these four municipalities which will be delivered by a fire expert from the Czech Republic, will contribute to enhancing fire preparedness and resilience of the civil protection services in these four municipalities.”

Forests and forest lands cover around 48.3% of the country’s territory. Floods and fires are recognized as the most frequent natural hazards in BiH. Over the past ten years, a number of forest fires have struck the country and caused direct damage amounting close to USD 60 million, while the value of reported indirect damage is much higher.    

UNDP Resident Representative in BiH, Steliana Nedera, emphasized, “Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, we bear witness that disasters can destroy the economy and development efforts made over many years in a split second, which may result in deaths, displacement and damage. At the same time, we can face a number of simultaneous disasters, which happened this year when fires broke out amid the pandemic. This equipment will contribute to better resistance and will protect the lives of 49,500 citizens in these four municipalities.”  

The municipal civil protection services received drones, self-contained breathing apparatuses, protective overalls, firefighting goggles, vests, face masks and forest fire boots, trousers, LED lights and flashlights, fire ladders, firefighting nozzles, firefighting equipment refilling apparatus, generator, motor-driven firefighting water pump, submersible electric water pump, motor-driven blow fan, back water pump, firefighting backpack, fire hoses and chainsaw.

Salem Dedić, the Mayor of Jablanica, expressed his gratitude for the donated equipment and training to be delivered within the Project.

Under climate change predictions, extreme weather phenomena will be accelerated in the years to come, which, in turn, will increase the impacts of floods and droughts and thereby directly increase the fire risk. In order to respond to recurring fires, prevention is necessary through better equipment and improved operational skills of firefighters.  

Milenko Avdalović, Mayor of the municipality of Nevesinje, expressed his gratitude for recognition of interests of the local communities, emphasizing that equipment came to the right hands and will be used for the wellbeing of citizens. He expressed thanks on behalf of the staff who will be using the equipment in the field.

The consequences of fires remain visible over many years, appearing in the form of landslides, degradation of soil and forest ecosystems and biodiversity loss.   

Fadil Tatar, acting Mayor of the municipality of Konjic, emphasized that the equipment would help the local authorities and civil protection better manage the fire risk and the consequences of the fires which are mainly man made.  The equipment will be used adequately and will help prevent fires and regulate all fire prevention processes.

The goal of the Fire Risk Management Project is to increase fire risk capacity levels in the municipalities of Bileća, Konjic, Jablanica and Nevesinje by addressing the most urgent needs.

Mihajlo Vujević, manager of the Bileća municipality, thanked for very important and valuable equipment. The equipment supports the Municipality in building and increasing its capacity not only to fight fires but also to save human lives in various situations.

The handover of this valuable equipment was attended by the representatives of the Czech Embassy, Mustafa Kadribegović, acting director of the Federation Civil Protection Administration, Milan Novitović, director of the Republika Srpska Civil Protection Administration and partner municipalities.

The project results will contribute to increased levels of knowledge of the fire risk and improved preparedness and response to disasters by the general public, vulnerable groups of the population and public officials, which in turn will increase the overall resistance of local communities. 

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